The Revenge of Fire and Air
by Hariah
Summary: Is the promise of love sufficient to bring one’s world down down around their feet? This is the story of the fall of the Air Nomads, and the forces that brought an element to its knees. YES, NOW I ACCEPT ANONYMOUS REVIEWS. Sorry 'bout that...Chapter 2
1. The Lesser Child

Hi everyone! I'm new to the Avatar section, but not to in general. I used to do quite a lot of writing in the Invader Zim section, but this is my first Avatar story. So be nice, please? As does any author, I love to get reviews, emails, any of that kind of thing, so if you like this story or hate it, or think I'm full of crap…well, let me know!

First of all, I'm just getting started in reading some of the other stories out there, so if anything in this story is similar to anything else out there, I honestly have no idea. Though I kind of doubt that will happen, sorry in advance if it does.

A little background will be helpful for you. This story is about the destruction of the Air Nomad temples, and the people responsible. The story starts when Aang is seven, and will continue on long after he gets trapped in the iceberg. This story will be pretty long if you guys like it. I'm known for writing 100+ chapter stories. I'm not sure whether or not to call this an AU fic or not, because there really hasn't been much information on the topic. I guess I'm doing what I used to do in the IZ section…events happen, obviously, that sometimes don't have a lot of explanation. So I'll try to make up a background for the reasons why the world is the way it is, and then explain it. This story is right along those lines. How exactly did the Fire Nation get to the Air Nomad temples to destroy them? What was the world like before the war started? And just how far will a person go to feel loved and accepted?

Ask these questions within yourself, and see if you can find an answer. Then compare your answer to the choices that the characters of this story will make. What is evil? Does evil exist when a pure purpose drives one's actions? Would you give up anything and everything to finally find somewhere to belong?

And how would another person act in the same situation?

Read on to find out.

-Lyn

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The Western Air Temple was, in a word, beautiful. Surrounded by a myriad of green mountains, the temple seemed like it was on top of the world. It rose higher than the trees, higher than the hills, higher than even the snowiest peak. But this perfectly suited the temple's inhabitants. They were, after all, reclusive. Enjoying a way of life that the rest of the world could never hope to sustain. Yet this way of life was fast disappearing, though the Air Nomads did not know this yet. Time, it seemed, often offered the cruelest fate of all.

She was six years old, with a mess of tangled blonde hair and eyes so dark blue that they were almost black. She wasn't the prettiest child, nor the most interesting. She clung to the leg of her caretaker, her gaze never tearing away from the ground. The female monks were talking, talking about her, even. But she didn't care. Of all things, she simply wanted to be left alone.

The older women spoke words that would change her life forever. But Asalen blocked them out, refusing to listen. She hated change. She hated any agent that could possibly _be_ change.

But as we do not have control over our destinies, Asalen didn't have control of her own. And what little happiness she had managed to find in her training would soon be lost to a revelation that would forever change the world.

"Word has reached us that the new Avatar has been born. He was born some time ago, it seems. The monks at the Southern Air Temple simply have refrained from telling us."

Asalen's caretaker, Karish, looked as angry as the monk to whom she was speaking. "They have no right to hide such a thing from us! And what's their reason for doing so?"

"The messenger didn't say. He simply said that Asalen was needed, and that she is to come to the Southern Air Temple as soon as possible."

Karish looked down at her adopted daughter and scowled. "Look at Asalen, Syam. Just look at her. The poor girl is having a hard enough time with her training. What reason is there to uproot her from her life?"

Syam looked weary. "You'd better come inside, Karish. We have much to talk about."

"And what about Asalen?"

Syam visibly winced. "Leave her outside for the moment. We need to figure out a solution to all of this before we tell her of the problem."

Karish looked down at Asalen and forced a smile. Asalen gazed back up at her, her wide eyes filled with fear.

"I don't know what's going on, darling," the older woman murmured. "But I'll find out as soon as I can. Why don't you go play with the other girls while we sort this out?"

Asalen looked, if anything, more terrified. "Kari, no, let me come with you…"

Karish shook her head. "I'll tell you what happened in the meeting later, once it's over."

But then she looked into Asalen's eyes, and her own features softened. She picked the girl up and held her close.

"Everything will be all right, I promise," she said, kissing Asalen's cheek. "This has to do with the Avatar. Why they're associating you with him…well, that's what I'm going to find out." She smiled. "Most likely, they want you to meet him. You have some incredible skills, Asalen. Maybe they think that you can teach him a thing or two."

This was of course an outright lie, but it made Asalen feel a bit better. She allowed a tiny, shy smile to creep onto her face. Seeing this, Karish smiled and kissed her daughter's forehead. She cuddled the little girl a bit more before setting her down.

"Go on and play. I'll come get you as soon as I can."

With that, Karish turned around and made her way toward the interior of the temple. Asalen watched her go, the fear quickly returning to her heart.

_I don't want to play with the other girls_, Asalen thought, her body beginning to shake. _They hate me. They hate me because I can't do anything right._

She looked down at the blue Airbender tattoos extending onto her hand. These tattoos covered much of her body, from her arms and legs to the top of her head. She vaguely remembered getting the tattoos when she was a small child. They'd had to shave her head to administer the sky blue pigments the correct way. Asalen remembered the way she had cried as she watched her thin blonde locks fall to the ground. Karish had held the tiny toddler throughout the entire process, but this had offered little comfort to Asalen. Her eyes never left the small pile of hair on the ground, even when the pain of the tattoos became nearly too much to bear. Without her hair, she had felt naked, exposed.

She felt ugly. Asalen didn't know what the word meant yet, but still she felt as if it fit. "Ugly" was the word that the other girls kept calling her. Asalen, though too young to understand its meaning, understood that the name was a bad thing. And now, during that sinking feeling of dread, Asalen had finally learned what it meant to be ugly. Nothing could have felt worse.

When the tattooing was done, Karish had lifted Asalen up and spun her around. The light in her eyes was almost enough to make Asalen forget the tiny droplets of blood staining her skin.

"You're an Airbender now, darling," Karish had said. "That's what those marks mean. They mean that you're growing up, that you're ready to discover just how strong you can be. And now that you have those tattoos, you can begin your training. And before long, I'm sure you'll be the strongest Airbender in the temple."

Another lie, but it had brought a smile to Asalen's face. The prospect of learning how to Airbend was beginning to offset her shame of being so bald. She'd seen the other residents of the temple performing the acts. How could she not? She was in an Airbender world surrounded by members of the same faith. And as long as she had remembered, she had been told that someday, she would be just like them.

Asalen had watched the older Airbenders practice as Karish carried her home. And seeing them brought a sweeping sense of pride through her otherwise reaching mind. She was special now. She was one of _them_.

Asalen had never felt so proud in her life before that moment, and never would again in her short childhood.

She was three years old.

Simply remembering that day brought a smile to Asalen's face. She felt the phantom touch of that same pride invade her mind, and closed her eyes, letting the feelings fill her. But as always, her happiness was short-lived. The memories of what happened _after_ that day were beginning to return. And these days held the events that had finally driven her back into her mental shell.

Asalen could never quite get Airbending right. No matter how hard she tried, nor what techniques she used, she found herself unable to do anything more than make the breeze blow. The other Airbender students, both her age and beyond, would always take time out from their own training regimens to watch Asalen struggle. Seeing the tiny girl blow herself into walls, trees, buildings, and the ground never ceased to amuse them.

So as Asalen looked at the other children playing that day, she decided once again that she wanted none of it. She'd found enough teasing and ridicule to last her a lifetime. None of the girls wanted to be her friend, and this suited Asalen just fine. Silence was much more merciful than words could ever be.

Making up her mind, Asalen turned and began to jog toward the temple's main entrance. Even her run was self-conscious. She didn't want the other girls to see her at all…

_Look at her butt wiggle when she runs! She looks like a worm!_

_She shouldn't be running anyway. She'll just trip and hurt herself again._

_Hey, Asalen, are you constipated or something?_

_Run, Asalen, run! And never come back!_

Familiar words. Hurtful words. Words that Asalen wanted to leave behind, but could never seem to forget.

Thankfully the other Airbenders didn't seem to notice her this time. Breathing a sigh of relief, she let herself inside the temple and set off at a job again. She would spend her time in her room, looking out the window. From there, she could watch the other children play. And from there, only there, could she pretend that she was one of them.

She couldn't see the scorn in their eyes from that far away.

Beginning to get tired, Asalen slowed to a walk. She was in no hurry; Karish wouldn't likely be back for quite some time. So there was time, time to kill. Asalen smiled as she walked along, imagining another afternoon of windowsill whimsy.

It was then that she heard the voices.

"No. It can't be true. It just can't!"

This voice was that of Karish. Syam's voice answered.

"It's true, Kari. She's his sister."

"But we've met Aang before. He came here shortly after Asalen started her training. He was seven, and Asalen was four. He was already a talented Airbender, yes, but there didn't seem to be anything unusual about him."

"He was _too_ talented, Kari. Have you ever met another seven-year-old who can make the air obey his every whim?"

"You're exaggerating. He couldn't do that."

"You were too wrapped up in comforting Asalen to notice."

Another voice spoke up, this one much older. "I agree with Syam, Karish. You simply did not see what the rest of us saw."

Karish sounded defeated. "At least I care about the girl. No one else seems to."

"Everyone will care about her now, Karish. She's the sister of the Avatar, after all."

Asalen had long since frozen in her tracks, and was listening to the conversation with silent horror. She remembered her older brother, if only slightly. Aang. He was always smiling, always happy. In many ways, he was the complete opposite of Asalen. He had seemed so free to Asalen. Aang obviously didn't have any of the weight on his shoulders that Asalen felt. Even at that early age, she knew that he must have been enjoying a life in which he was surrounded by friends. Why else would he be so happy?

She wondered if they revered him.

And she wondered if she could ever find the same.

But now…

_The Avatar. My brother is the Avatar. So it's no wonder that he was so happy, that he seemed like he was accepted. He was powerful. Perhaps even perfect._

She closed her eyes and fought back tears.

_So Aang is the one who was born to save the world. He lives to keep balance and create peace. He will be the world's hero, its savior. Especially with the Fire Nation planning an attack…I've heard the elders discussing it. And when the world is in flames, that will be my brother's time to shine. He will be everything that I want to be, and he won't even have to work for it. God gave it to him for free._

_It's not fair._

Karish's voice brought Asalen out of her thoughts. She listened once more as tears, the first of many, ran down her cheeks.

Karish sounded desperate as well. This was of some comfort to Asalen.

"We can't do this to the poor girl. Asalen is having enough trouble fitting in as it is."

"Don't kid yourself," said another, meaner voice. "Asalen doesn't have a friend in the world. The other kids see her for what she is…a laughingstock."

"She has me," Karish hissed. The other voice laughed.

"And that's enough to make her life worth living, now is it?"

A sob escaped from Karish's lips, and Asalen could hear her sink back into her chair.

Silence reigned after that.

The voice of the tribe's elder, Elyran, finally broke the silence.

"The elders of the Southern Air Temple have yet to disclose the identity of the Avatar to the rest of the Temple. At this time, only the elders know. And I do not see any reason for our temple to be any different. So your worries are unfounded, Karish. This will not be the cause for Asalen to suffer more rejection."

"But it will be someday," Karish said, her voice barely above a whisper. "They don't accept her as it is. When they find out that she's the sister of the Avatar, it will put them out of her reach forever."

"Fame creates a lonely life," the cruel voice from before sneered. "Although what Asalen will find is more of an _anti_-fame. Her brother will be the master of all of the elements. Asalen herself can't even manage to blow out a candle."

"Shut up, Prythan," Elyran snapped. "You're not helping."

"I'm telling the truth."

"You're being ridiculous."

Asalen could feel Prythan smirking. "I'm being blunt. Karish needs to know this, Elyran. She needs to know what the future holds."

"If we handle this right, those events will never come to pass," Elyran said. "And even if fate bestows such a thing upon Asalen, it will certainly not happen for many years. And in those years, we have plenty of time to build a foundation to be used." She paused. "We will begin our act now. The elders of the Southern Air Temple have requested Asalen's presence. We will give it to them. Karish, you will be taking Asalen to see them, of course."

"When?"

"Tomorrow. You have tonight to prepare and pack."

"How long do you propose we're to be gone?"

"As long as it takes to complete whatever they have planned."

"And what might they have planned?"

"I expect that they're going to want to test Asalen a bit to see what she's capable of. With the Avatar as a brother, it must be thought, by some, that his little sister would be powerful as well."

"By some," Prythan sneered. "But those of us with strong heads on our shoulders know that the girl is little more than amusement fodder. She'll make a fool of herself if she's tested against the Avatar."

"Then I guess that Asalen will be declared a fool," Karish said, standing up. "Though I don't see how that's any different than any other day."

With that, Karish fled from the room. Asalen barely had enough time to press herself against the wall before the door to Elyran's conference room flew open. Karish stormed out, eyes aflame with rage. Asalen whimpered. She had never seen such a look on her caretaker's face before.

As fate would have it, Karish didn't even notice Asalen. Her hatred blinded her to anything but the words swirling around in her mind.

Asalen sagged against the wall, tears dripping form the corner of her eyes. This couldn't be happening. It was impossible that her life could have taken such a turn.

Prythan's voice invaded her mind once more.

"The girl is worse than useless. She'd be better off if we just killed her now and spared her the misery of living."

_Useless…_

_Useless…_

_Useless…_

Asalen uttered a single sob before fleeing.

_I'll show them…someday, they'll see. They'll see that I'm not worthless after all. They'll see that I'm just like them…no. That I'm _better_ than them. I'm not going to just lie down and let them hurt me. No. There will come a day when all of the Air Nomads know my name. And on that day, I will rise above them. I will be something better._

_And no one will ever be able to hurt me again._

She found herself on the edge of a cliff, looking out over the distant mountains. They seemed so close, yet so far away. Just like her dreams.

Asalen curled up on the ground and placed her chin on her knees. She looked out at the mountains for a long, long time. And after awhile, she began to long to see them up close. Maybe somewhere far away, like in those mountains, she would be recognized as something special. Someone to love, someone to expect. Maybe the people in those faraway places would finally treat her like she was a human being.

Her brother, Aang, the Avatar, would be the savior of the world.

What Asalen didn't know was that she would first become its destroyer.

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	2. Ribbet

Too late, it seems, I found out that I wasn't accepting anonymous reviews. Sorry! I had no idea! Apparently it's some setting in an author's account. Back when I first opened my Invader Zim fic account, I don't remember there being an option to not accept anonymous reviews. But that was kind of a long time ago, so…

I don't own Avatar, obviously, though I wish I did. (don't we all?) But I think I own the characters that I've created. But with all of this legal dookie lately, who knows who owns what anymore? (please don't sue me. I don't have any money, and the most valuable thing I own is a crappy car and a mean Mexican pine snake)

Thanks to the people who did review, and sorry to the ones that couldn't. Hopefully this time everything will work out. Not sure what else to say except thanks again to the people who've been helping this pathetic newbie get a start in the Avatar fandom!

-Hariah

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By the time Asalen returned home, Karish was already inside, packing. The girl almost joined her caretaker, but then remembered that she shouldn't know why Karish was packing at all. If she had obeyed orders, that is, she shouldn't know. Asalen always felt guilty going against what the elders wanted of her, but this time, she was fairly certain that disobedience had saved her life.

But she still needed to play ignorant. She knew this, knew it well.

"Karish?"

The older woman turned. Asalen mentally recoiled when she saw the dark, dead look on the face of the woman that had always been her mother.

"Yes, Asalen?"

"Why are you packing? Are we going somewhere"

Karish was silent for a long, long time. When she finally spoke again, her voice was hushed and thick.

"We're going on a trip, Asalen. A vacation. I'm sure you'll like it."

Asalen felt dread settle in the pit of her stomach, even though she already knew their destination.

"Where, Karish?"

"The Southern Air Temple." She pulled a thick tan coat out of a drawer and set it in her suitcase. "So pack warmly. It's very cold down there."

Asalen looked at the ground. She didn't know what to say. Karish turned and studied her for a few moments before returning to her task.

"You're afraid."

A nod.

"You don't have to be afraid. We're going to see your brother, that's all."

Asalen was feeling sicker by the moment, so she didn't respond. Rather, she began to gather up the clothes she wanted to take on her journey. Karish, sensing that nothing more needed to be said, fell silent and continued placing garment after garment in her bag. The movements were almost mechanical, as if her mind and heart were somewhere else rather than inside her body, inside that room. And in a sense, they were. Karish's mind was poring over the past, or more specifically, the past six years.

She remembered first meeting Asalen. The girl had been a tiny, warm bundle of blankets and cloths. Only a single pale hand was sticking out, grasping at the air as if the world had something that she wanted. Karish had fallen in love with her instantly, even before she knew exactly why the girl was there.

Prythan had been carrying the girl, whom she said had no name. In fact, the tiny baby had nothing at all. No family. No home. No life.

Prythan then told Karish what had happened to the baby's parents, and Karish felt sick.

But now was not the time to think of that. Now was the time to remember the happier days, when Karish herself had been a bit younger, and Asalen had been innocent.

Karish immediately agreed to watch over the girl for a few days before the elders decided what to do about her. Prythan had handed the baby to Karish before leaving quickly. Karish had smiled as she looked down at her new charge. She had never seen such beautiful, dark eyes.

Holding the baby also gave Karish a sense of purpose. Her life had been wandering, wandering down a path that she was struggling to comprehend. There seemed to be no rhyme, no reason, no idea of which dream to hold. But now, thanks to this tiny bundle. Karish was beginning to get a grip on her life. It no longer felt as if she were thrashing in a vast pool of water, struggling to find the surface. Though still lost in the water, Karish had found the air she needed to live.

"I'm going to call you Asalen," Karish had told the baby. "In the old language, it means 'bright eyes'. Your eyes are more dark than light, though. But the name still fits."

Indeed, Asalen's eyes were far from bright. But there always seemed to be a curious light dancing within them, the light of a child who had yet to explore the world. Karish had rocked the baby for a few moments before walking off.

She didn't want to put the bundle down. Consciously, she was dreading the decision of the elders. Unconsciously, she already knew their sentence for the girl.

Prythan found her way to Karish's bedroom a few hours later with the results of the meeting. Karish held Asalen tight as Prythan stated the verdict.

"Since the girl's parents have passed on, we've decided that she is to stay here. We'll appoint her a guardian and raise her as if she were our own."

"Who will be her guardian?"

"Any one of the priestesses will do," Prythan had replied. "Including you, my dear. In the Southern Air Temple, where the girl's brother is being raised, the monks there very often raise Airbender children. We are the female version of those monks. Why should our practices be any different?"

"I'll take Asalen," Karish had said quickly. "I wouldn't mind being her guardian."

Prythan had smiled. At that time, she had no reason to discriminate against Karish or Asalen alike.

"I see you've already chosen a name," the older woman had said, a smile on her face. "How long have you believed that you would be the one to care for her?"

Karish had thought about this for a few seconds, then gazed almost shakily at Prythan.

"I've known since I first saw her," Karish said quietly. "Not consciously, though. Consciously I was just scared. But somewhere inside I knew that she was to be my daughter."

"You're already changing, my dear," Prythan had said with a smirk. "Since when have you been so overemotional and mushy?"

"Since I-"

"If you say 'Since I fell in love', I'm going to throttle you."

Karish laughed and tucked her shoulder-length hair behind her ears. Those light brown locks were always getting in the way, and that day was no exception.

Karish returned Prythan's smirk. "Since I decided that yes, I want to devote my lives to wiping butts."

"Better you than me," Prythan said with a laugh. She ran a hand through Karish's hair, tossing it every which way. "I'll come by later to check on the both of you."

She gave a last smile before leaving, leaving Karish once again to tame her hair. Karish went about the task single-handedly, grooming with one hand and holding Asalen in the other. She mumbled ominously to herself, wondering quietly why she didn't shave her head like the male Airbenders did. It would certainly solve a lot of problems.

As Karish finally tucked the last of her hair behind her ears, she was treated to a beautiful sound, a sound that she had never heard before.

The little girl had started to laugh. Something about Karish's crabbiness was amusing to her. Karish quickly forgot about her hair and smiled. It was hard to be cranky when Asalen was happy.

And this remained a constant throughout all of the proceeding years. No matter what was going on, no matter how mean the other Airbender children were being or how condescending the elders, Karish could always find a reason to smile if Asalen simply smiled first.

At the present, however, there was no reason for either of them to be happy. They had a long, hard journey ahead of them.

And neither knew just how long or just how hard this journey would be.

Asalen finished packing quickly and lay on Karish's bed. Karish looked up and managed to give her daughter a shaky smile. Asalen smiled back, the same fear reflected in her eyes.

Neither knew what to say, so neither said a thing. And within a few moments, Karish's mind was once again drawing back to the things that had once been.

Asalen had been trouble right from the start. As an infant she cried nearly constantly, always wanting attention. Karish had soon found herself unable to leave the room without Asalen in her arms. The baby would get scared and panic, which would in turn panic Karish. So she had quickly settled with taking Asalen everywhere she went. This solved most of the first problems that the two faced. It was only when Asalen got older that things began to get difficult again.

By the time Asalen was three, she had developed a keen fascination with the animal world. The Western Air Temple was of course littered with lemurs and flying bison, but Asalen had become bored with them within a matter of months. The girl had then set out to discover new species that inhabited the rock that was her home.

The Western Air Temple was a safe place, as were all of the Air Temples. There was no crime, no reason to keep a child inside, nor even a reason to be with them when they played. The biggest danger that the Airbender children faced was falling off a cliff, but even that wasn't a big deal. Most of them could simply Airbend their way back to solid ground, and those who couldn't would be helped by those who could. It was for this reason that Karish let the three-year-old Asalen wander around on her own. Karish herself had things to do, and the other children could be trusted to watch over their own.

Karish never regretted this decision…

Well, at least not for the first few months.

She remembered the night when her opinions were forced to change. And oddly, they weren't changed by any sort of worry for Asalen's safety.

Karish had been in the room she shared with Asalen, cleaning house. Asalen was wandering the temple, doing only God knew what…and what only God cared. Karish was humming to herself as she worked, thinking about nothing in particular. For some reason, housework was always peaceful to her. It was meditation, even. But that night, Karish's peace had been shattered with a scream. She had dropped what she was doing immediately and run toward the sound.

The children of the temple were out in one of the many yards, as usual. Yet for some reason they were in a tight circle, a circle focused on something in the center. Karish arrived on the scene at the exact same time two of the other priestesses showed up. Yelling for the children to get back, Karish, Prythan, and Elyran forced their way to the front of the circle and looked fearfully at the ground.

On the ground was a green frog, about the size of a shoe. In fact, the thing was _shaped_ like a shoe.

Karish and Prythan had simply stared. Elyran picked up the frog and studied it carefully.

"What is this?" she asked, frowning. Asalen was the one who spoke up.

"It's a frog! A green frog!"

"Well, I can see that." The elder studied the creature again. "But why is it here?"

"I found it under a rock," Asalen said proudly, demonstrating her near mastery of the spoken language, despite her young age. "It's green!"

"Indeed it is," Elyran said wearily. "It is a green frog. Quite ordinary, it seems. So who screamed, and why?" She cast another glance at the frog. "And why does it look like a shoe?"

"I was the once that screamed, Ma'am," one of the older girls said shyly. "It ate something."

"Ate something? And that scared you?"

None of the girls said anything. Finally, it was Karish that spoke up.

"Take a look at Asalen, Ely."

Elyran slowly turned and looked at Karish's charge. Her eyes began to widen, and her mouth dropped open.

Asalen was barefoot, or at least halfway there. Both the shoe and sock on one of her feet was completely missing.

And the not-so-little green frog was the exact same size and shape as Asalen's shoe.

Elyran didn't even have to ask the question. Asalen told her the answer anyway.

"The frog at the shoe right off my foot! It was really neat!"

Elyran swayed. "Say that again, child. What did the frog do?"

"It ate my shoe! And it's a lot bigger now!"

"She has to be lying," Prythan spoke up. "That frog couldn't have possibly eaten the shoe at its present size, let alone if it were any smaller."

"She's not lying," the girl who had screamed said. "We all saw it happen."

Prythan said nothing. Elyran and Karish exchanged weary glances.

"What do we do?" Karish asked plaintively. "Can this thing really be allowed to stay here?"

"What else are we going to do with it, throw it off a cliff?"

"Let's just watch it for now," Prythan said. "Something here just doesn't seem right."

The three woman looked back and forth between one another for another few seconds. Then, there came another scream from the younger girls.

"IT ATE THAT ROCK!"

Elyran, Karish, and Prythan whirled around in unison. The young Airbenders that weren't in the process of fleeing were staring at the frog in horror. The creature was now twice as big as it had been mere moments earlier. And the large rock that was sitting next to it was completely gone.

That had been the end of the discussion whether or not to keep the frog. Prythan promptly strode to the thing and picked it up, having a great deal of trouble due to its weight. Karish ran over to help. Together, the two women managed to get the frog to the outskirts of the Air Temple. Then, without so much as a glance at one another, they threw it over the cliff.

Well, that had been the end of that. Or so Karish and Prythan had thought at the time.

Karish returned her mind to the present and finished packing. Then, once she had closed her bag, she let her mind once again wander to the past.

The three weeks after the frog episode passed with little incident, aside from some rather strong opinions on the fate of the not-so-little green frog. The elders had all agreed that the thing had to go, but some of the girls held alternate opinions. Asalen especially was very vocal. She didn't think that it was fair to throw the frog over the cliff.

"If I got bigger, would you throw ME over the cliff?" Asalen had asked. Karish didn't have the foggiest idea how to respond to this, so she simply remained silent. Asalen had studied her for a moment before running off.

From the disappearance of the frog onward, Asalen had been scarce during the day. But as usual, Karish had thought nothing of it. Now that the demon frog was gone, there was once again nothing in the Air Temple that could hurt any of the girls. So the priestesses went about their normal lives, seemingly unworried and happy that things had calmed down after that brief bit of trouble. But as was so common in the world in general, unseen storm clouds were brewing behind their backs. Ignorance was truly bliss, but this time, that bliss would have an abrupt, bizarre end.

Three weeks after the frog's flight, another unusual sound had drawn Karish from her thoughts. Rather than screaming, the young girls had been laughing. Some of them were in near hysterics. Giggling was common enough, but frantic cackling was rather rare. So as she had done before, Karish ran to investigate. Prythan and Elyran once again met her at the scene, followed by several of the other priestesses.

And together, the woman simply gawked.

At first, they weren't able to tell exactly what was going on. The girls were once again in a circle focusing on something in the center, but this time the circle was much wider, implying that whatever was in the center of the circle was much bigger. Karish caught a glimpse of the item in question through the crowd. The thing was green, slimy, and nearly as long as she was…

And it must have weighed three hundred pounds.

Worst of all, Asalen had been sitting on top of it.

For the longest time, Karish simply stared. Her mind desperately struggled to comprehend what was going on. Then, the green blob moved, and understanding dawned immediately.

Asalen was riding the frog. And the frog was now nearly a hundred times the size it had been when Karish had first seen it.

She didn't know whether to laugh, scream, or faint.

There was a thump from Karish's right side as Elyran chose to pass out. The other priestesses gasped. Prythan simply screamed.

"IT'S THE DAMNED FROG!"

"Well, obviously," Karish said sarcastically. When either scared or confused, she always became a bit snappish. "And it's the same one, unless the temple is being invaded by a plague of these things, and this one is a different one than before. And maybe its sole purpose is to alert us to the fact that there are millions of these things all over the damned place, and we'd better run before they ate us all."

Prythan just looked sick.

"I really, really hope that you're kidding."

"What's there to kid about?"

"THE FACT THAT WE"RE BEING INVADED BY THE OTHERWORLD!"

"Otherworld? How do you figure that?"

"Because this frog died! We threw it over a cliff three weeks ago!"

"And what does that have to do with the Otherworld?"

"The frog came back from the dead!"

"Maybe it survived," one of the other priestesses said. Prythan simply shook her head.

"It had just eaten a rock before we got right of it. It would have plummeted three thousand feet to the ground."

"Unless I'm right, and this really is a different one, one intent on warning us about our impending annihilation."

"Shut up, Karish. This isn't helping."

Karish gestured frantically. "Look in front of you! My daughter is riding a three hundred pound frog! What's there to do BESIDES laugh?"

"Get her off the thing?" one of the priestesses retorted immediately. "You saw how it grew when it ate that rock! The frog can eat things that are bigger than itself! Who's to say that it won't eat Asalen?"

"If it ate her, it would be doing us all a favor," Prythan said coldly. "So maybe we should leave her on the thing."

By that time, the elders of the tribe had noted Asalen's lack of talent. All of the priestesses were cutting her some slack, saying that she merely needed time to improve. All of the priestesses except Prythan, that is.

Prythan had become downright hostile toward the girl. Karish didn't understand it, and never would. But there always seemed to be something dark behind Prythan's eyes when she looked at Asalen.

And Asalen, of course, wouldn't let go of the frog. She had sat atop it, a wide, proud smile on her face. Karish couldn't hope but smiling as well. It sure didn't seem like the frog was going to hurt Asalen.

It was Prythan, intent at causing messes as always, that finally broke the peace. She ran forward and gave the frog a mighty shove, presumably trying to get it to move. But the thing was more than twice her size, and didn't so much as budge. Rather, the frog's immense amount of slimy flesh jiggled disgustingly, and the frog croaked loudly. A look of utter repulsion on her face, Prythan took a step backwards.

"That's revolting!" she shrilled. "It's repugnant! Karish, get your daughter off of that thing right now!"

"Why should I?" Karish had asked sweetly. "Asalen is having a good time."

Prythan growled before taking it upon herself to remove Asalen from the frog. But just as she reached for the child, the frog opened it mouth, croaked loudly, then threw up all over her.

Prythan fell onto her butt, shrieking. And since the ground was covered in frog barf, she landed in a thick, viscous puddle. All of the priestesses and children froze, not daring so much to breathe.

Then, Karish started laughing. Within seconds, all of the others had joined her. And as fate would have it, that loud sound startled the frog, which puked again. The other Airbenders laughed all the harder as Prythan struggled to her feet.

Asalen got off of the frog and made her way over to Karish. Karish picked the little girl up and cuddled her, her eyes still on the frog. The frog, now minus its rider, had apparently decided that it was time to leave. With a final croak, the thing hurled itself into the air. It landed outside the circle, ten feet from where it had leapt. It then rebounded once more and disappeared over a cliff.

They never saw the frog again, after that day.

Brought back to the present for the final time, Karish shouldered her bag and looked at Asalen. The girl nodded and did the same. Karish took the girl's hand and pulled her close, wanting to feel that connection of love and dependence. Asalen closed her eyes and leaned into Karish's chest, whimpering slightly. Both females knew exactly what would come next, and neither ever wanted to face such a thing.

They hugged for a long, long time. Finally, Karish straightened up and looked out the window. Asalen's gaze followed her own.

Trying not to shake, Karish once again took Asalen's hand and led her from the room.

"Come on. The others are waiting."

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End file.
